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When is a show for kids not really a show for kids? When the show is "Dokkoida!?", a funny and sexy take on the "Ultraman" legacy.

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Dokkoida

(a.k.a Cosmos House Where the Living is Easy)

Ultra Diaper Man

Review by Matthew Anderson

12 Episode TV Series

Company: Geneon

Running Time: 100 minutes (4 episodes)

Region: 1

Rated: PG-13 (Violence, sexual innuendo)

EXTERNAL EXAM

Suzuo is a below average kid trying struggling to find a job while going to school. When he saves the life of a small kitten, he attracts the interest of Tampopo, a young alien girl living on Earth. Her job is to find some poor looser...er.... volunteer to test drive her companies new prototype power suit, Dokkoida!

At the same time, another company is testing their flashy and sexy power suit, Nuroloid Girl. Worn by the very shapely Asaka, her smooth and efficient moves have Tampopo worried. If Dokkoida can't defeat a series of Class A criminals, then her company will loose a valuable contract with the Galaxy Federation Police force!

The Galaxy Federation Police have problems of their own. The only reason they need power suits is to cover up the fact that they are getting their butts whipped by everyone. Because of the costs involved, there is only one way to save money.....have Dokkoida, Nuroloid Girl, and all the Class A criminals live together!

DVD VISION TEST

VIDEO: This is one sharp looking transfer. There are no pixels, wrinkles, or blemishes anywhere to be found. This is the benefit of digital based animation. Many of the technical errors of the past are gone.

AUDIO: Both the English and Japanese 2.0 are pretty evenly matched. The Japanese has a little more treble than it's English counterpart. There is a fuller soundstage on the English track, but it's softer than the Japanese.

EDITS: The only edits noted were the use of the clean open and close.

EXTRAS: The non-credit opening, original Japanese promos, and a small art gallery make up the extras.

WIDESCREEN REVIEW

STORY: Dokkoida is a clever send-off of live actions shows like "Ultraman" and superhero anime like "Moldiver". Ryunosuke Kingetsu and Waji Sato cram each episode with heaping amounts of Japanese pop culture references and self deprecating humor.

ACTING: The casts on both the English and Japanese versions are very funny. Brad Swaile is very good with the over the top gags and exaltations required of his character Suzuo. The same goes for Daisuke Namikawa, whose deeper voice provides an interesting contrast to Swallie's higher pitch.

For the women, the Japanese cast is a little sexier than the English cast. The sexiest of them all is Kotono Mitsuishi. Once you hear her deep, purring voice for Hyacinth, you will understand why she is one of the best actors in the business.

FAN SERVICE: Well, no nudity, but Nueroloid Girl and Hyacinth are fanservice babes to the max, with plenty of jiggle to keep you happy. There are tons of visual and verbal gags referencing everything from "Bubblegum Crash" to "Mobil Suit Gundam", and even "Big Brother".

FINAL EXAM

When is a show for kids not really a show for kids? When the show is "Cosmos House Where the Living is Easy" or the name for the US release "Dokkoida!?", a funny and sexy take on the "Ultraman" legacy.

This is going to be one of those series most people are going to overlook. I know I would have, based upon the trailer. When Geneon sent me a copy, I didn't expect much. After watching it, I will admit, I had a good time. The gags were over the top, the Sentai inspired character designs were cute, and at some level, I found Dokkoida a little bit sexy.

Okay, I found it a lot sexy, especially when it came to Hyacinth. This woman is a true fanservice goddess, right up there with "Naga" from "Slayers". She can't even move with out her....guns bouncing around. Her "slave" and the Hentai (transformation) attack he uses when she whips him does venture into more grown up territory. As this is rated 13 and up, some parents may have to explain the verbal and physical references they make about S&M, the addictiveness of dating simulation games, and nude transforms.

Having all the main characters living in the same house is nothing new. "Masion Ikkoku" did it well, and "Tenchi Muyo" made it better. Dokkoida takes this simple concept one step further, by turning "Cosmos House" into a "Big Brother" like program. I have a feeling that in the next volume, we are going to see more of this "Reality TV" idea brought to fruition, with hilarious results.

Dokkoida is a funny and sexy show for grownups. The bizarre character designs and silly sight gags do have their appeal to younger viewers. For the grown-ups, it's the adult tinged humor and lack of seriousness is what makes the tales of Cosmos House fun.

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